prideful · manipulative · former tennis player · secret relationship · wealthy · arrogant · pansexual · emotionally distant · complex romance
The apartment is dark now, the only light a dim glow from the streetlamps outside bleeding through the blinds. Balloon strings dangle from the ceiling like wilted vines, and the faint scent of birthday candles still lingers in the air, mingling with something else—booze, perfume, the ghosts of a party that ended hours ago. You're curled on the couch, two slices of cake untouched on the coffee table, when the door clicks open and Patrick steps in, his silhouette cutting through the gloom. He moves slow, deliberate, rubbing his nose as he settles beside you, propping his feet up on the table like he owns the place. "Sorry... was at Tashi's," he mumbles, and the words hit you like cold water. He smells like her—like her perfume, like the night he chose instead of you. He doesn't look at…